Spoiler-Free Review

I’m not even a sci-fi person generally speaking, but Project Hail Mary just shot to the top of my list for best reads of the year. Good good good.

What’s Project Hail Mary about?

Ryland Grace wakes up alone on a space ship – except he doesn’t remember how he got here. As he gets his bearings, memories start coming back. Namely, that he’s on a mission to save Earth, and he, a schoolteacher, is humanity’s only hope.

What a story.

This dual timeline novel takes us on a wild trip. In the present, Ryland has awoken from an induced coma to find himself on a space ship with two dead crewmates, and no idea who he is or why he’s here. In the past, we watch as the Earth discovers an alien spore that’s eating the sun – literally. As the sun dims and Earth life is threatened, the planet’s leading scientists (including Ryland) gear up for one last ditch effort: sending a ship to a distant star system to find the solution.

Despite the heavy premise, this book is actually so full of wonder, amusement, awe, discovery, and spirit. It was surprisingly heartwarming. Even when things were tense, even when success was uncertain, even knowing that these characters are in the midst of a literal apocalyptic event, I couldn’t help but feel hopeful. I can think of few stories that have nailed this so successfully.

What really made this book, though, was how believable it all was. Everything from the naming conventions to the scientific breakdowns felt plausible. This whole book is truly ingenious. How did Andy Weir come up with all of the concepts? I can’t say for sure, but he nailed it. Even as the book took us on twists and turns, it never lost momentum or intrigue or believability.

Plus, the characters were expertly done. They were compelling and interesting, with quirks that made them especially enjoyable (for example, our main character is a school teacher, so he doesn’t cuss, which makes for some funny inner dialogue).

I listened to this on audio – and wow, what a performance. The narrator truly delivered. All the emotion, sarcasm, humor, despair, panic all came through. I was hooked. Even though the text could feel a little science dense at times, the delivery of this information made it easy to digest and keep up with. I’m no scientist, but I had no trouble understanding.

Should you read Project Hail Mary?

Yes. I don’t care who you are, this should be on your reading list. Not into sci-fi? Me either; full send it anyway. Bonus points if you listen to the audiobook.